Global Link – International Activities
October 2020
REGION 10 NEWS
Amazing perseverance drove civil engineer to help his homeland
A newly constructed water station provides clean water to Congolese people. PHOTO: Tresor Moolo
Growing up in an impoverished area of the Congo, Tresor Moolo has known heartbreaking loss, where every day was a fight for survival. But it’s also where he found the love and inspiration to pursue a career in civil engineering, a career that now supports his goal to give back to his hometown and inspire others to help their own communities. Read his inspiring story.
NIGERIA SECTION
Section appeals for action to prevent construction failures
ASCE’s Nigeria Section has called on the nation’s engineers and government officials to step up enforcement of structural foundation standards to prevent persistent construction failures. At the section’s latest quarterly meeting, speakers said quality foundation work is too frequently neglected in favor of the visible aspects of design. “People pay more attention to what is easier for them to learn, which is what we call the superstructure, that is, what goes above the ground. You can have two types of soil in different layers and engineers need to increase knowledge in that aspect. We have to up our game as engineers in Nigeria,’’ said infrastructure development expert Aileme Unuigbe. Read more about the section’s appeal.
REGION 10 NEWS
Udai Singh elected secretary general of ACECC
Udai P. Singh, Ph.D., M.ASCE, an active member of ASCE and a past president of the Environmental & Water Resources Institute, is the new secretary general of the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council, to serve a six-year term. He has been associated with ACECC in various roles and has traveled to and worked with most ACECC countries since 2012. “I am excited to work with our ACECC members to advance the civil engineering profession, promote the acquisition and transfer of knowledge and practices in Asia, and run this organization,” Singh said. Currently an independent environmental consultant based in California, Singh worked for CH2M Hill, now part of Jacobs Engineering Group, for 40 years before retiring as vice president.
Colombia honors ASCE Region 10 governor with national award
Jairo Uribe Escamilla, Ph.D., Ing., P.E., F.ASCE, has received the Colombian Ministry of Transport’s Julio Garavito Order of Merit in the Degree of Grand Officer. Escamilla was recognized for “his extensive and excellent professional and academic career.” In 1972 he was a co-founder of the Julio Garavito Colombian School of Engineering, the nation’s preeminent engineering university. He has served as a full professor at the university with a specialty in structures, structural mechanics and soils. Escamilla has been an ASCE Region 10 governor since 2014.
Attend the ASCE 2020 Convention from wherever you are
The flagship gathering of the Society is being reimagined as a virtual event welcome to members worldwide. The ASCE 2020 Convention will feature all of the same enlightening topical, multidisciplinary coverage of past conventions, now accessible from wherever you live. Don’t miss this great opportunity. Register today.
Your ideas sought for ASCE’s 2021 international sustainability conference
ASCE's 2021 International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure will help engineers plan and execute on how to make communities more resilient and sustainable. Your ideas are sought for possible tutorials, demonstrations, short courses, speakers, or other content. Offer your ideas by Oct. 14.
India-based international sustainability conference seeks abstracts
The International Web Conference in Civil Engineering for a Sustainable Planet, to be held March 5-6, 2021, is welcoming abstracts for papers across a wide range of civil engineering disciplines. ASCE is a collaborator on the conference, which will explore recent advances and new technologies. Region 10 Director Elias Sayah is the gathering’s chief patron. Submit abstracts by Oct. 18.
Join fellow international members in discussions at ASCE Collaborate
ASCE Collaborate is an exclusive forum where Society members from the United States and around the world engage in lively, timely discussions about issues they confront on the job – these days, including everything related to the pandemic. Virtually any topic is welcome and open to discussion. Start or join a conversation now!
Are you taking advantage of your international member benefits?
The American Society of Civil Engineers has members in 177 countries around the world. Wherever you call home, ASCE is grateful for your membership. Know and take advantage of your benefits as an international member. Bookmark asce.org/international-member-benefits
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
International Web Conference in Civil Engineering for a Sustainable Planet
Submit your item for a future Global Link
Do you have news or an announcement for ASCE international members that might be worthy of an item in Global Link? Submit it to ASCE News editor Ben Walpole at bwalpole@asce.org.